The village of Saint Louis in Loudoun County, Virginia, is a historic African American community dating back to the 1800s.
Now, proposed development in the rural western Loudoun County community has residents concerned.
Mojax, LLC wants to build homes on 16 acres that community members anticipate will create water supply, home affordability and traffic issues.
“The building vision of Mojax is a distinct threat to the way of life that Saint Louis currently enjoys,” said Charles Thompson, pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church.
“I don’t have a solution. I just appeal to you as our elected leaders to do whatever you can, administratively and legislatively … think outside of the box, but do whatever you can to preserve a way of life.”
Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall said the proposal would mean “basically allowing gentrification.”
“It’s also the issue of, if you build out there, it’s going to raise the taxes of the people out there already who cannot afford to pay the taxes.”
Resident Shawn Clancy said Saint Louis is more than a crossroads from Purcellville to Middleburg, “and it can’t be forgotten anymore because it is threatened by developers with money on their minds.”
